Gate



Dec. 2, 1924. 1,518,015

E. STINEBAKER GATE Fi1ed Feb. 1e, 1925 2 sheets-sheet 1 X gnou/Hofe5247267 Stia e@ ailier Dec, 2, 1924.`

Filed Feb. 16, 1923 E. STINEBAKER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 MmerStznaba-RerPatented Dec. 2, 1924.

U l T S T TE S ELMER STINEBAKER, OF CHAMBERSBURG, ILLINOIS.

GATE.

Application filed February 16, 1923.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ELMER S'riNiiAKiiR, i citizen of the United States7residing at Chambersburg, in the county of Pike and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gates, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention is a gate designed to permit the passage of large stock,such as horses, from a pasture to another field in which water may beobtained and to prevent the passage of small stock, such as sheep orhogs. The invention seeks to provide a gate which may be automaticallyopened by the stock and will automatically return to its closed positionafter t-lie stock has passed. The objects of the invention ai'e attainedin such a gate as is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and theinvention resides in certain novel features which will be hereinafterfully set forth.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away, of a gate constructedin accordance with my invention;

F ig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 2 2 of Fig. i;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. l is a detail perspective view of a rest which forms an element ofthe gate.

In the drawings, the reference numeral 1 indicates the hinge gate postand the numeral 2 indicates the latch post which may be of any desiredor convenient construction and are set in the ground in the usual`inaniier. These posts form part of a fence, a portion of which isindicated at 3 constituting a division between two adjoining fields. Thegate bodyconsists of horizontal bars 4 secured together at intervals byupright bars ,5 and a brace 6 which may be of any convenient orpreferred material. To the upper and lower edges of the gate body, Isecure hinge straps 7 which are adapted to engage over and be pivotallysupported on lugs or studs 8 secured in the hinge post 1 and arranged topermit the swinging of the gate in either direction. Upon reference tothe drawings, it will be noted that the end of the gate body is spacedfrom the post 1 so that there will be no interference between the postand the end uprights 5 of the gate. The post 1 is further constructed atan intermediate point of its heightwith a socket 9 in which is se-Serial No. 619,435.

cured one end of a leaf spring 1() which extends from the post betweenthe uprights 5 of the gate and parallel with the intermediate bars 4 ofthe gate. Secured between the central uprights 5 and upon theiminediately adjacent gate bar 4L is a rest 11 consisting of a block ofproper form and size to tit snugly between the said uprights 5 andprovided in its upper side with a notch or recess 12 in which the freeend of the leaf spring 10 is engaged. The end of the spring fits easilywithin the notch or recess 12 so that. it will not bind thereon but maymove relatively thereto but at the same time will be retained therein sothat it will always be in operative condition. Upon referring to Fig. 3,it will be noted that, when the gate is swung to one` side, the leafspring 10 will be placed under tension or bowed and when the movingforce is withdrawn the tension of the spring will return it to itsstraight condition and thereby effect reverse movement of the gate sothat it will return to its closed position between the posts 1 and 2.

The post 2 is provided near its upper end with a socket 13 which may belined with metal, as shown at 14, and the sides of the post are beveled,as indicated at 15, so that the latch 16 may ride easily over the sidesof the post to engage the socket. The latch 16 consists of a bardisposed longitudinally of the gate body and Slidably supported betweenthe uprights 5 at the free end of the gate and in a guide or bearing 17secured upon the intermediate uprights near the upper end thereof. Aspring 18 is coiled around the latch between the said bearing block 17and an abutment or its equivalent 19 on the latch, said spring tendingconstantly to expand and thereby hold the latch in engagement with thesocket 13, as will be readily understood. The latch bar projects throughthe guide or bearing 17 toward the hinge end of the gate and to theextremity of the latch bar is secured a head or cam 20 consisting of anarcuate plate extending to both sides of the latch bar and following acurve having its center in the longitudinal axis of the said bar. Uponthe outer sides of the intermediate uprights 5 near the upper endsthereof, I secure brackets or loops 21 upon which 4are fulcruined leversor swinging operating lbars 22 which converge toward the head or cam 20and are equipped at their inner ends with rollers 23 bearing upon theconcave face of said head or cam, as clearly shown. The outer divergentends ot the arms or levers 22 extend to points equidistant from the treeend of the gate and in the vertical plane of said end, as clearly shown,the brackets or fulcrums 21 being eccentric to the member 20` so that,it the tree end of the lever or operating arm be swung toward the gate,the inner end thereof will be caused to ride upon and exert pressureagainst the member 20` so that it will be moved inwardly, as shown bythe dotted lines in Fig". 2, and the latch thereby withdrawn from itsengagement with the socket or keeper 13. lf the pressure upon the bar 22be continued, it will be exerted against the free end of the gate bodyand the body thereupon swung upon its hinges, as will be readilyunderstood. YWhen the latch is thus withdrawn from the keeper or socket13, the spring 18 will obviously be compressed so that, when thepressure upon the arm 22 and the gate is withdrawn, the spring willexpand and project the latch so that it may again engage the keeper.

The operation is thought to be clear from the foregoing description,taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. The latch isnormally held in engagement with the socket or keeper and the gatethereby held against movement so that it will re main closed. Theoperating levers 22 are located at a suiticient height above the groundto permit them to be engaged by the breast or body of a horse or otherlarge stock but are so high from the ground that they cannot be engagedby sheep, hogs or otherI small stock. TWhen a horse, for instanc-e,desires water, he will move against the adjacent operating arm or lever22 and will swing said arm toward the gate body and thereby withdraw thelatch. The animal will continue his progress and will thereupon open thegate against the force of the leaf spring 10. As soon asthe animal hascleared the gate, the spring 10 will return it to closed position andthe spring 18 will return the latch and the levers 22 to their initialpositions. dien the animal returns to the pasture, he will move the gatein. the opposite direction by pressing upon the formerly inoperativelever 22 and operate the gate in the same manner as it was previouslyoperated.

It will' be readily noted that my improved gate is exceedingly simple inthe construction and arrangement of its parts and may be easilyoperated, always returning to closed position immediately after theopening torce has been withdrawn. The closing spring is so disposed thatthe animal opening the gate cannot come in direct contact with thespring and possible breaking or the spring is thereby avoided while atthe same time there is ample space to accommodate the bowing of thespring when it is put under tension. It frequently happens that wherestock is pastured in vone lield which contains no water and water may behad in another field, .the larger stock will jump over the dividing'fence vor break through it, and l have observed that they quickly learnto push open an ordinary gate under such conditions. The ordinary gate,however, will not restrain the small stock and it is very desirable topermit the larger stock to pass at will from one iield to anothe f lieldwhile restraining such passage ot' the smaller stock. This purpose is attained by the use ot my improved gate.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. ln a gate, the combination of a latch post, a swinging gate mountedadjacent the post, a slidable latch bar mounted upon the gate, yieldablemeans holding` the outer end ot the latch bar normally in engagementwith the latch post, a laterally projecting cam plate on the inner endof the latch, and an operating member; mounted upon the side of the gatebody and riding upon the cam plate whereby pressure thereon willwithdraw the latch.

2. ln a gate, the co-nlbination of a latch post, a gate body mounted forswinging movement adjacent the latch post, latch bar slidably mounted onthe gate in position to engage the latch post, a spring coiled aroundthe latch bar and bearing at one end against a fixed part of the gatebody and at its opposite end upon the latch bar, whereby to hold the barin engagement with the post, a laterally projecting tix-ed cam at theinner end of the latch bar, and an operating lever tulcrumed between itsends upon the side of the gate body eccentric to the cam plate andbearing at its inner end against the cam plate.

ln testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

ELMER STINEBAKER. [n sfl

